Starting device for internal-combustion engines.



. B. s. WHALBY. STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

N FILED FEB. 5,

T A G I L P P A um 5 v 5 9/ W. .Bf s. WH-ALEY.

STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION 1,039,864.

ENGINES.

APPLIOATION FILED PEB.5, 1907.

Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: @MHW {4 fi iwamzz zvroze. BY

ATTORNEK UNITED srrATEs PATENT. OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. SMITH WHALEY, 015 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, -ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE REVERSIBLE GAS-ENGINE COMPANY, PORTLAND, MAINE,

' A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application fiiearebnia 5, 1907.. Serial no. 355,559.;

device for internal combustion engines, the' purpose of the invention being to provide the engine with means for controlling fluid pressure supplied from an auxiliary source, such as a compressed air tank, in such a way that'the fluid pressure may be utilized" to start the engine without interfering with the normal functions thereof in case the engine fails to start in response to the ignition of a compressed charge remaining in a 1 cylinder.

For this purpose, the invention is embodied in means for controlling .the distribution of the fluid pressure in such a way that the pressure is admitted to the cylinders successivelysubstantially at the beginning of and during the normal working stroke in each cylinder, or, in other words, during the time when a compressed charge would be ignited and expanded by heat in the normal operation ofthe engine. The

pressure is supplied to the cylinders through ducts which are independent of the charge inlet passages, so that the fluid pressure does not, in .any way, interfere with the normal functions of the engine which are naturally resumed as soon as the engine has. been started by the auxiliary fluid pressure. Taking, for' example, a multi-cylinder, four-- cycle engine, the distribution of the pressure is controlled by means acting in synchronism -with the half time shaft which controls the ignition, each cylinder receiving the pres;

sure atalternate revolutions, there being no communication between the'source of pressure and the cylinderduring the suction and compression strokes. In this way, the fluid pressure is admitted at the beginnin of the normal working stroke and exhausted through the exhaust valve operating in the 7 -Pa'tented 0ct;1,i912.

normal way without interfering with the normal functions of the engine when running on combustion, and no shifting of the cams, or other manipulation, is necessary after the engine has been started.

Figure 1 is a view in cross section of a de- 1 vice embodying the invent-ion; Fig. 2 IS a vmew half in elevation and half in longitu dinal section on line 00 Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view similar to the sectional part of Fig. 2

showing the-valve in a different position; Fig.4 is a detail showing the movable valve member removed; Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Figs. 2 and 1 showing a moditication; Fig. 7 is a view of the modified construction of the valve removed from the casing; and Fig. 8 is an elevation, on a smaller -s cale, of the valve casing.

In the construction shown, I employ a sinde distributing valve common to all the cylmders, the ports 2, 3, l, 5, 6, and 7 being arlranged to be connected, as by pipes, with the cylinders of a six-cylinder four-cycle engine,

these ports leading from a chamber 1 which is provided with an inlet port 13, through which it is adapted to receive fluid pressure from any suitable source, 'as a tank of compressed air. The flow of compressed ,air from the chamber 1 through the ports to the several cylinders is controlled by a distributing valve member arranged to travel in the casingso-as to uncover the ports successively, this traveling member, in the case of a four-cycle englne, belng preferably arranged to rotate and to be connected when used in a four-cycle engine, with a shaft which revolves in harmony with the engine cycle, such, for example, as the half time shaft which controls the cams and the ignition timer.v In the construction shown, the

traveling valve member consists of a cylindrical shell provided with a port 11, Fig.

- 1, which, in the rotationof the valve 8, success velyopens communication between the interior of the chamber 1 and the ports leading to the several cylinder.;. The port 11 is shown as adapted to overlap adjacentcylinder ports, so that one port is always open, and, consequently, the valve will always stop in position to admit compressed air to a cylinder in which the piston is in position to start in desired direction.

The operation of the starting device may be described as follows: When a multi-cylinder engine stops, it may be, and usually is, possible o start the engine ahead by ignit- 5 ing the charge remaining which would have been last to operate had the engine been running, assuming that the engine is in perfect running order, so that said cylinder contains a charge of compressed gas. Such starting may be accomplished by moving the ignition timer back until the two contacts which have been last .engaged are again'brought together so as to produce the ignition in the desired cylinder. Similarly, the engine, if at least six cylinders are employed in the four-cycle type, can be reversed by moving the timer contact ahead and shifting the position of the valve operating cams. This self starting, however, cannot be absolutely relied upon, for the reason that there may be some failure in the ignition, or suflicient leakage in the cylinder to reduce the compression. With the auxiliary starting device embodied inthis invention, however, the fluid pres sure controlling device, which is arranged to operate in synchronism with the device which operates the traveling member of the ignition timing mechanism, will obviously I the exhaust openat the end of the outstroke, while the valve port for that cylinder becomes closed. .The valve port to the succeeding cylinder in the series hasbeen opened in the meantime, so that the fluid pressure is admitted successively to the cylinders in sequence to maintain the operavtion of'the engine. This does not, in any way, .interfere with the normal suction of the explosive mixture which takes place while the valve port is closed, so that ignition will take place as soon as the engine has been started, and has charged its cylinder with explosive mixture.

'In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, provision is made for starting the engine in the reverse direction, the. valve member 8 being provided with a reversing port 12, out of alinement with the port 11, and so located as to divert the air to the cylinder in which the piston was traveling on its compression stroke when the engine was stopped. To bring this reversing port into operation, the valve is provided with means for moving it longitudinally in the chamber 1, the said valve being herein shown as having a spline or feather connection with the half time shaft 9, and an operating rod or handle 10 which is longitudinally movin the cylinder stand with one portopen, that port corre-:

piston or pistons will travel out-C movement.

able for the purposeof shifting the valve. This reversal of the timing member mustbe accompanied, in a reversing engine of the four-cycle type, by a corresponding reversal of the valve cams, but, in other respects, the operation is the same as that of the starting operation above described.

In Fig. 1, the valve is shown in full lines as in position to, start the engine ahead, 2'. e., in the direction indicated by the arrow a. The firing sequence in this case, taking the valve port members indicating the cylinders with which the ports communicate, is 5, 4, 3, 2, 7, 6. The engine, has stopped, therefore, with the piston corresponding to 5, just at the beginning of its working stroke, and the piston corresponding to 6 justfinishing. The compressed air acting on these pistons will start the engine ahead, closing port (3, and fully opening 5 port 5. The piston corresponding to 4 is on its compression str0ke,'and by the time this compression stroke has been completed, port 4 will be opened. Ports 3, 2-, 7, and (i are then opened successively. By having the traveling port large enough to lap adjacent ports, communication will always be made with a piston which has not completed its. working stroke, so that the engine can be started from any position in which it has stopped. To reverse the engine, the port 12 is brought into alinement with the distributing ports, thereby opening communication with the port 4, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1. As above described, the 100 piston corresponding to port 4 ison its compression stroke in the ahead operation, 50 that if it is moved outward it will turn the crank shaft in the reverse direction. The valve will, therefore, begin to turn in the 105 direction of the arrow 6, the piston corresponding to 5 moving back to the end of the cylinder ready to work when port 12 reaches port 5. Then follow 6, 7, 2, 3, etc., it being understood that the valve cams (in the case 110 of a four-cycle engine) have been shifted to reverse the functions of the regular inlet and exhaust valves.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5 to 8, the reversing feature 18 omitted, the valve 8 being provided with only one port, and there being no provision for longitudinal The same reference numerals are used on these. figures as on the figures previously described, and no further detailed description is believed to be necessary,

Claims:

' 1. An auxiliary fluid pressure starting device for a multi-cylinder engine consisting of a traveling valve adapted successively to open ports. communicating with the cylin; ders, the opening of the ports following the normal firing sequence; andmeans for shifting said Valve to close tlieport which stands 13% open, and to open a port communicating with a different cylinder whereby the engine during substantially the entire normal working stroke of each piston and to open the port next 'in sequence before closing the I port which is then open.

3. An auxiliary fluid pressure starting device for a six cylinderengine consisting of a traveling valve adapted successively to open ports communicating with the cylinders, the opening of the ports following the norinal'firing sequence, and the traveling valve being arranged to keep each port open during substantially the entire normal-working stroke of each piston; and means for shifting said valve to close the open port and open a port communicating with acylinder in which the piston is onits compression stroke. v

, 4. In a starting device for a multi-cylin der internal combustion engine, the combination with the'cylinders each provided with an inlet port; of means for opening said ports successively-,i each' port in the series being opened prior to. the closure of the port preceding; and an o crating device therefor timed to correspon with the engine cycle,

proximately at the time a charge'would be exploded in the normal operation of the engine, and exhausted by the normal opening of the exhaust port at the end of the working stroke. r

5. A fluid controlling valve comprising a casing having an air inlet, and being provided with a series of outlet ports; a rotary valve in said casing having two openings in diiierent lanes; and means for moving the valve in t e casing to cause one or the other opening therein toaline with the outlet ports; and means for rotating saidvalve. 6. Annie] controlling valve, comprising a casing having an air inlet and provided with a series of outlet ports; a rotary valve in said casing having two. openings in different planes; a half-time shaft constructed to ro-' tate said valve to cause the opening therein to aline with the outlet ports successively, and means for moving the valve in the cas-.

ing to cause one or the other openings therein to aline with the outlet ports to permit reversing of the engine.

- 7.- In a fluid pressure starting device for an. internal combustion engine, the combination with the cylinders each provided with an inlet-port; of valve mechanism adapted to be actuated by the engine to open said ports successively during the normal working strokes ofthe pistons; and means for changing the relation of said valve mechanism to the cylinder inlet ports to reverse-- the engine.

8. In a fluid controlling valve, the combination with a casing having a cylindrical bore and an air inlet, said casing also being provided with a series of outletports com municating with thebore of said casing and,

all having equal division walls between them and a half-time shaft projecting into one end of the casing, of a cylindrical valve in the casingandkeyed to slide on the shaft, said valve having two openings in different planes and out of line with each other, and a'rod projecting into the casing and connected with the valve to move the latter longitudinally in the casing to bring either of said openingsin position to aline with the outlet ports successively when the valve is rotated.

9. Ina fluid controlling valve, the "combination with a casing having a cylindrical bore and anair inlet, said casing also having aseries of outlet portsspaced an equal casing having an opening in its wall to aline successively with" the outlet ports, the opening in the valve being longer than the face of-the dividing wall between two ports; and a shaft to rotate said valve.

10. In a fluid pressure starting device for an internal combustion engine, the combination with the cylinders, each provided with an inlet port; of a traveling member for successively opening said ports during the normal working stroke of the piston in distance apart; of a cylindrical valve in the whereby compressed air is admitted apeach cylinder; and means for changing the a relation of said traveling member to the cylinder inlet. ports to reverse the engine.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two sub scribing witnesses.

WILLIAM B. SMITH Witnesses:

ANTHONY B. ARNOLD, 'DAVID LIoHTnNs'rEIN.-

Copies of-this patent may be' obtained for five cents each, by addressing the"0omm iss1oner of Patents, I Washington, D. 0.

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